The Sustainable Communities (Amendment) Bill has received Royal Assent.

Under existing legislation, people are able to propose changes to Government policies or national laws which they feel would help their local area economically, socially or environmentally.

The new Act improves the process to allow communities a greater say in how their proposed changes can happen.

The principles behind the new Act - and the original Sustainable Communities Act (2007) - are aligned with recent reforms of local government, and the policy direction set out last autumn in the paper Putting the Frontline First.

The Government recently announced the first ten ideas to receive its support under the 2007 Act.